What was to be a month-long, fun-filled vacation spent with his parents, turned tragic for a 12-year-old boy who died of dengue on Sunday.
Tinku, had come to the city from Madhya Pradesh to spend time with his parents for Deepavali.
On the night of the festival on November 13, Tinku had filled his pockets with firecrackers and was playing, when a spark from a lit cracker is believed to have set off the firecrackers in his pockets. Tinku was injured in both thighs and was rushed to the Government Kilpauk Hospital (KMCH) where he was admitted to the burns ward.
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Viswanathan, the investigating officer from Elephant Gate police station said, “The boy was doing well initially but then he developed a fever and died on Sunday morning.”
Tinku was studying in a school in his hometown in Madhya Pradesh. His father has worked as a marble layer with a unit in Sowcarpet for the past 12 years.
According to medical superintendent and head of the burns ward of the hospital, V. Jayaraman, Tinku had sustained only minor injuries and “only 10 per cent of the total body surface area” was affected.
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On the first day after admission, the child developed a fever, and tests revealed he had contracted dengue. His condition worsened in the next few days and his temperature rose to 105 F.
“We did an investigation and found that her platelet count was very low. He was bleeding from all orifices – nose, mouth and ears. His platelet count was only 10,300 and even after six blood transfusions, his platelet count did not improve,” Dr. Jayaraman said. Tinku suffered a cardiac arrest and died on Sunday, he added.
A post-mortem was performed and the body was embalmed at Sri Ramachandra University.
The family made arrangements to take Tinku’s body back to Madhya Pradesh by train on Sunday night, Mr. Viswanathan said.
Dengue deaths have been reported at intervals in the city and according to data provided by government agencies for period ending November 15, around 60 deaths in the State were due to dengue and nearly 9,250 persons have contracted the infection.